Beginning of the End
by Dweia81
Summary: A/U. When an ancient foe was set free, Vegeta must set out to defeat the foe. He and his guards met a mysterious young woman who possessed mystical powers. Is she friend or foe?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer : I do not own Dragonball Z or any of its characters.

Beginning of the End

Prologue

The Fall of the Saiyans

In times long passed, Earth was a peaceful place. Different races of sentient beings inhabited Earth and they lived together in harmony. Both agriculture and technology flourished. Of the many races, the humans and the saiyans were the most prominent.

The saiyans were a powerful race. They devoted themselves to strengthening their bodies and enjoyed the rush of adrenaline in combat. As a result, they held great power in their body and were the finest warriors across the lands. Although the saiyans were famed for their ferocious personality and combat prowess, they never warred against the other races unless absolutely necessary. They were more attuned to nature and preferred a more primitive lifestyle. However, they were not adverse in using technology, though it was few and limited.

The humans were not as strong physically as the saiyans, but their intellect knew no bounds. They harnessed the power of technology far more than any other races and created many amazing machines. They built high rising buildings powered by machines, often neglecting the effects it had on nature.

It came to pass that a human scholar who had intensive studies in the arts of the arcane discovered the long forgotten rites of the Blood Moon. It was written in the ancient texts that the rites, when performed under a blood red moon, would grant its user everlasting life and mystical powers. Fascinated by the notion of immortality, he searched far and wide for more information about the rites. Soon, his fascination turned into obsession. The more he indulged himself into the studies, the more it corrupted him.

He began to hear voices, voices that told him to perform the rites. However, to begin the rites, he needed a blood red moon. For that, he would need a sacrifice. The voices in his head commanded him to use the blood of royalty for it was the most precious in the world. As such, he decided that it would be Princess Vaitara, the daughter of King Vegeta of saiyans. He believed that, being more attuned to nature than humans, their blood would have mystical powers too.

Under the guise of an ambassador from the human emperor, he offered technology as gifts to the King as was the custom between the humans and saiyans. King Vegeta welcomed the imposter and treated him like a royal guest, granting him stay in the palace. That night, under a full moon, he sneaked unnoticed into the young princess's room and stole the eight year old girl away from the palace, using enchantments he had learnt.

Great was the anger of the King and all his people shared his anger. He punished the sentries severely for their lax and swept the kingdom for his beloved daughter. When he failed to find the imposter or his daughter within the kingdom grounds, he immediately led his people to war with Emperor Praiver of the humans.

Emperor Praiver, confused at the sudden declaration of war, denied kidnapping Princess Vaitara and retaliated with the full force of his empire, using the best of their technology. The saiyans were strong enough to withstand the weapons of massive destruction that the empire had but not without heavy causalities. It soon dawned on King Vegeta that his daughter may not have been stolen by the empire, but by an imposter. By then, both sides had already taken much causality.

Emperor Praiver was willing to forgive King Vegeta for it was because he had trusted a human without prejudice which had led to this tragedy. Disgraced and defeated, King Vegeta could not forgive himself and took his own life.

First born son of King Vegeta, Prince Vegeta mourned his father's death and refused to take his rightful place until he found his sister. For months, his search was unfruitful, until one day, he was visited by Brodock, the spirit of father of his trusted guards, Kakarot and Raditz. He learnt from Brodock the location of the kidnapper and that his sister was still alive, though barely. Brodock had chanced upon the kidnapper and in an attempt to rescue the Princess, was struck down mysteriously. He warned the prince to be most wary and departed for the afterlife.

With the remnants of the saiyan army and his trusted guards, Kakarot, Raditz and Nagpa, Prince Vegeta made haste to the ancient cave where the kidnapper was supposed to be hiding. When they arrived, Prince Vegeta gave the order to surround the cave from all sides and approach it cautiously.

Suddenly, the full moon turned blood red. Several of Prince Vegeta's soldiers began to bleed. Wounds appeared on their skin with no apparent reason and the soldiers slowly bled to death one by one. The creeping curse ran its course through the army, only the prince and his guards seemed to be unaffected by it. Those who had died would rise again, like mindless zombies, to attack the living. A war raged between the living, the dying and the dead. Bewildered, Prince Vegeta consulted with Nagpa who was also the high priest of the god, Mihtous.

Though Nagpa, Mihtous revealed that his soldiers were cursed by the bleeding curse casted by a Blood Shaman. Mihtous also revealed the kidnapper had sold his soul to the demon, Freiza and had become a Blood Shaman. Prince Vegeta pleaded with Mihtous for help and Mihtous agreed, for Freiza was the arch nemesis of Mihtous. The god then bestowed Prince Vegeta and his trusted guards with power to defeat the Blood Shaman.

With his new strength, Prince Vegeta and his guards proceeded into the cave to rescue the Princess. Alas, they were too late. The princess had already died. Her face was pasty white engraved with a look of utter horror. She lay on the ground in a pool of her blood. A hooded figure in a red cloak bent over her mangled body, lapping up the blood that bled from wounds on her neck, both her wrists and ankles, moaning in religious ecstasy.

Angered and aggrieved, he radiated a golden aura. He clenched his fists as the flow of power in his body multiplied. Concentrating solely on his anger, he embraced the power. Prince Vegeta's ebony hair stood up and blazed like golden flames, his bottomless black eyes transformed into piercing teal. Static energy rushed around him.

Prince Vegeta aimed a ki blast at the hooded figure, unleashing all his anger and power he possessed. The figure sidestepped his attack and turned to face the prince. Prince Vegeta almost could not recognize him. His eyes were as red as blood and fangs peeped from between his blood stained lips. His mouth elongated into a reptilian grin. He revealed himself as the Blood Shaman Zarbon and offered Prince Vegeta a chance to be his subordinate, promising riches and power beyond believe.

Prince Vegeta scorned his reply and launched himself unto Zarbon, his fists in an obscure blur of punches. His trusted guards could only stare at the duel, frozen in place by Prince Vegeta's fury and power. The Shaman dodged with ease and taunted Prince Vegeta. He spoke of how she screamed in horror when he slit her neck. He described with dreadful fascination of how Princess Vaitara's blood was drained from her to fill the moon, tinting it red.

Prince Vegeta doubled his efforts with more punches and kicks. He wanted to kill the deranged monster. Zarbon dodged a kick and blocked the prince's left fist. His right hand reached out to clutch Prince Vegeta's neck. Grasping him tightly by the neck, the Shaman held the prince in the air, impervious to the prince's efforts to free himself.

Seeing that their prince in danger, Kakarot, Raditz and Nagpa lunged themselves at the shaman but was repelled by an invisible barrier around the dual. Desperately, they rang blows after blows at the barrier, hoping to tear it down.

Zarbon then waved his fingers in complex gestures and a red aura emitted from his body gradually. Knowing that the Shaman was preparing a spell, Prince Vegeta unsheathed his sword and plunged it into Zarbon's heart. The Shaman laughed at his attempt, for he was immortal and would not die to a mere stab in the heart. However, when Vegeta began to pull the sword out, Zarbon's grin contorted into a painful grimace. He had felt his soul being ripped out of his body and entrapped into the sword. He shrieked in panic and pain.

When the sword was pulled free, Zarbon's lifeless body fell to the ground with a thud. Holding the sword infused with Zarbon's soul in one hand, Prince Vegeta aimed a ki blast at the body, blasting it into nothingness. He felt the sword vibrated in anger in his hand as if Zarbon himself could see his own body being destroyed. Satisfied, he sheathed his sword.

Exhausted, Prince Vegeta released his pent up power and his hair and eyes returned to its original color. However, his hair maintained its flame-like state. Holding back tears, he carried his sister in his arms and laid her on a stone table in a more dignified manner. His heart broke when he realized he could not erase the look of utter horror on her face.

The Prince and his guards exited the cave to find the saiyan army which had came with them decimated, not one soldier survived. With heavy hearts, they laid the bodies in the cave to accompany the princess in endless slumber. After the last body was laid to rest, Prince Vegeta caused the cave's entrance to collapse, sealing the tomb of Princess Vaitara and the saiyan army.

When Prince Vegeta and his guards returned home, they discovered the kingdom in ruins, except for the palace which was strangely untouched. The palace, the towns and the streets were all deserted, aside from a sick elderly man who hid in the cellar of a rundown mansion.

From the elderly man, Prince Vegeta learnt that the people had believed that the Prince had died in his fruitless search for the missing princess. They had divided themselves into clans and warred against each other to claim supremacy for the throne of the kingdom. The saiyans went all out to kill each other and there were very few survivors. The survivors became wandering nomads and left the kingdom.

Prince Vegeta was devastated by the fate of his kingdom, although he did not regret the search for his beloved sister. He ordered the old man to be brought to the palace where he would be cared for. He also sent out messages and hoped the wandering nomads would return.

The old man succumbed to his sickness and passed away. For years, Prince Vegeta had waited. Still, the nomads did not return. Years turned into decades, the nomads never returned. Neither did Prince Vegeta and his guards aged. They realized that part of the god Mihtous's gift of power was immortality.

A hundred years passed. Prince Vegeta finally accepted the fact that the saiyan nomads would be dead by then. They were what were left of the mighty saiyan race. He appealed to Mihtous to bind them in slumber and to guard the sword containing Zarbon's soul for all eternity so that the Blood Shaman would never be released. Mihtous agreed. The god placed the saiyans in a magical sleep and formed a magical barrier around the palace.

For a hundred years, Prince Vegeta and his guards slept.

They slept through the rifts that exploded on Earth, which cause an upsurge of mystical energies. The humans were perplexed by these energies as it could not be explained by machines or calculations.

Slowly, the humans evolved and became attuned to the mystical energies which over time weakened their bodies. They learnt to compromise technology with magic. Studies of arcade power became popular and many technology research facilities were abandoned.

Soon, the humans began to realize that magic was not as reliable as technology and reverted back. The study of magic soon faded out. Still, there were few who practiced the mystical arts.

The power of the god Mihtous cocooned the palace from the eruption of mystical energies. The last of the saiyans continued to sleep, undisturbed.

As with all gods, the time came when Mihtous departed for other worlds. Without Mihtous, the magical barrier around the palace began to wane.

[Author's Note : I hope you enjoyed the story and I apologize for any mistakes I have made. Please leave a review if you can, I will really appreciate it. Yes, this is a B/V fan fic, the lady in question will appear in the next chapter or the one after, I promise.]


	2. Chapter 1 : Theft

Disclaimer : I do not own Dragonball Z or any of its characters.

Beginning of the End

Chapter 1 : Theft

Leaning against a sturdy oak tree, a stranger examined the fragile parchment he held up with both his hands. His greasy unwashed short stud of hair was unmistakably grown from a previously shaved scalp. Pudgy round eyes, chubby cheeks, an upturned nose and fat lips decorated his face, along with smudges of dirt and pockmarks. His portly stature was clad in gravy-stained leather armor that stopped near his knees. The iron girdle which held the leather armor together at the waist was replaced by a length of rope tied in a dead knot. A pistol holster hung from the rope belt. Instead of a pistol, a small drawstring bag about the size of a fist was in it. He wore a pair of black spandex suit underneath the armor. A rusty rapier attached securely on a strap across his back. Filthy leather gloves and shoes completed his ensemble as a grubby scoundrel for hire. A piece of black cloth lay crumpled at his feet.

"Blast this ridiculous ancient writing!" Dodoria swore, delicately holding the fragile parchment up with both hands.

The parchment was old, older than dirt in Dodoria's opinion. It could only be read using the full moon as a backlight. He had tried using various devices that emulated the moon beams but the writing never showed up as clearly, if at all, as when he used the full moon. He had to hold the parchment up in such a way that the moon would be directly behind the parchment.

Dodoria's neck was aching from the strain of looking up at the parchment for so long and his arms were growing tired. The cool breeze of the night did little to ease his discomfort.

"Piercing light of the skies… Peak of its journey… East… of the long river… in the shadows of… the windy mountain… the castle protected the… beyond the mundane dreams…" He translated from the spidery characters that ran across the bottom of the parchment with the help of the translation invocation he had casted.

He had been confused at why that old woman clutched at what looked like an empty parchment so preciously. Getting his hands on it had not been easy. That old woman had screamed and shrieked and fought like some rapid animal in defense of her treasure. Dodoria had regretted sending the old hag off with a crack of her neck without first interrogating the secrets that she knew. It had taken him weeks to unravel the way for the writings to appear on the parchment.

He recognized the inscription that was popular more than 800 years ago, before the Rift of Magic. After all, he was, as he coined the term himself, a battle magus, a specialist trained in the art of combat and magic. The invocation he wove to translate the writings was not perfect. Several words were not translated properly or not translated at all. Not once did he believe that it was because of his lack of talent in spell casting that was causing the problem. Instead, he blamed it on the inscription, it was simply too ancient.

Dodoria assumed that the parchment was a treasure map and a castle somewhere held something of great value. Something worth protecting and most likely worth more than anyone could dream of.

The illustration was easier to understand. There was an oval with a red cross in the center. He had interpreted to be where the treasure would be. A hill-like marking was right on top of the oval. The hill-like marking had a cloud-like marking overlapped the peak of the hill. Being a self proclaimed genius, he interpreted it to be the highest mountain on Earth, Mount Seyius. What other mountain could touch the skies besides Mount Seyius?

Navigating on foot around the forest at the base of the mountain was terrible. He had finished his supply of ale. Well brewed ale was rare and very expensive. How he missed the rich foamy drink and perhaps the warmth of a busty wrench. Alas, his monetary assets were limited.

Dodoria continued to hold the parchment up, hoping to catch anything hint that he might have missed out during the last full moon.

"Shadow of the windy mountain… Blast it, the shadow of Mount Seyius is as big as a continent!" He cursed. Frustrated, Dodoria turned to stare accusingly at the mammoth mountain brightly illuminated by the full moon. His eyes widen in realization. The shadow of the mountain was cast on the other side. He had been navigating the wrong side of the mountain.

"Blast the infernal infection of the smutty boar-witch!" He swore again. It made sense to him now. The parchment could only be read under the moonlight, it stood to reason that the shadow mentioned would have been the one cause by the moon as well. He had used the sun-caused shadow instead.

He tenderly wrapped the black cloth around the parchment and tugged it under his armor. Although he was exhausted, he decided that he should make his way towards the moon-caused shadow before he loses its place.

Dodoria's feet protested the moment he began walking. He could feel the soles of his feet burn with every step he took. He had lost count of the blisters and sores. He was tempted to go on his knees and crawl his way there, just to give his soles a bit of a rest. Unfortunately, he would look ridiculous and what if someone saw him. He had a reputation to maintain.

It was almost dawn when he finally reached the perimeter of the fading shadow. He groaned with relief and collapsed under a large tree. Dodoria was too exhausted to even bother using his capsule. The rotting vegetation on the ground provided him with a rustic form of bedding and there, he slept.

A sprinkle of water woke Dodoria up. It took him a while to comprehend that it had began to rain. He fumbled for his capsule bag inside the pistol holster and took out his capsule containing his house. Cursing at his luck, Dodoria clicked the knob on the capsule and threw it on an empty spot.

The impact caused a large cloud of smoke which soon dissipated in the rain. A worn wooden house appeared at where the smoke was. Its roof was patched with planks and broken roof tiles. There were large windows on all sides of the house and a wooden door with peeling paint and numerous dents. It looked as it could collapse from a good sneeze.

Dodoria immediately entered it and was welcomed by a gust of staled air. The sprinkle soon escalated into a heavy downpour. In the dark, he fumbled his way around the house, tripping over long forgotten junk and garbage. He knew it was no use turning on the lights. The power generator had broken down years ago and he had not bothered to get it fixed. He felt ravenous. Taking out his last bar of chocolate and a loaf of staled bread, he ate, staring out of a window at the pouring rain.

"Almost there." He mumbled between bites. After he finished his meager meal, he lay down on an overused mattress on the floor. He fantasized of luxurious hotel suites and gorgeous women at his sides, overwhelmed by his presence. He visualized unthinkable things he would do to the women and riches he would soon be rolling in.

Impatiently, he waited for the rain to stop. He started pacing around the house, kicking junk and garbage that got in his way. After what seemed to be a long time, the rain abated. Dodoria ran out of his house excitedly and was amazed at the sight he saw.

The thick forestation was decorated with the remains of an ancient civilization, the recent downpour left behind a thin fog that added to the mystery. Streets had been overtaken by trees, shrubs and grass. In the distance, Dodoria saw the distinct structure of a building. It was no mistake to him that it was a castle. He saw the turrets and towers. Immediately, he made his way towards the castle.

The castle seemed strangely complete, compared to the forested ruins Dodoria saw earlier. The structure was circular in shape and grayish. Tendrils of unnamed weeds crept along the walls but did not go very high. Nine towers stood on along the perimeter of the castle each flunked by two tall turrets. Small circular windows were strategically positioned along the walls. The entrance was a pair of large doors made from yellowish stone.

His common sense told him that it was foolhardy the castle but his greed told him otherwise. Eagerly, he pushed the large doors open. The large doors were very heavy. After much grunting and cursing, Dodoria was only able to ply open a 3-inch wide gap. He kept pushing until it was wide enough for him to squeeze through, albeit painfully.

Dodoria found himself in a short corridor that led to a large ballroom. The floor was covered with a thick layer of dust. The only furnishings in the ballroom were three thrones in a row and a larger one behind. Four grayish statues were seated on the thrones, positioned in various sleeping positions.

On the extreme right was an ugly female with big, bulky hair and a masculine body. Her arms rested on the armrests and her head leaned towards the right edge on the tall back of the throne. Her hair covered most part of her face and body, but it was obvious to Dodoria that she was really ugly.

On the extreme left was a male statue with wild hair that spiked in all directions. He had lifted both legs on one armrest while his neck was supported by the other. His arm hung from his body out of the seat.

In the center was another male statue, with no hair but a bushy mustache. He was curled up in a fetal position, leaning on the back of the throne on his left shoulder, facing the wild haired statue. His hands were positioned below his chin.

Directly behind the bald statue was the taller and much bigger throne. The stature of the statue was very regal, almost like royalty, but it appeared smaller than the three statues in front of it. Its physique was masculine and most definitely male. His hair stood upwards like the flames of a fire. His elbows were supported by the armrests and his hands were grasped together. His head was bowed slightly.

Then he heard it, a soft whispering.

_Come to me…_ A very feminine voice whispered.

Dodoria stood frozen, the hairs on the back of his neck stood unnaturally. He knew it. Deserted castles were always haunted by vengeful spirits and ghosts of the unrest.

_Come to me…_ The voice called out to him seductively.

Dodoria unsheathed his rapier with a trembling hand. "Who… who's there?" He whispered fearfully.

_It's me, it's me! Come to me! Come and help me, please!_ The voice pleaded.

It seems to Dodoria that the voice was coming from the statue on the large throne. Tentatively, he inched his way towards it. His senses were demanding that he turn and run away immediately but the seductive voice enchanted his mind and controlled his body like a puppet.

With his eyes on the fire-haired statue, he made his way towards it, leaving footprints in the thick dust. Passing between the bald statue and the wild haired statue, he noticed a sword at the feet of the fire-haired statue. He failed to notice that the statues were not statues at all, but humanoid beings that were alive and breathing slowly.

The sword was sheathed in red scabbard encrusted with rubies of various sizes around its locket. A figure of a snake wound itself around the grip of the hilt, its orifice held a much larger ruby as its pommel. From the edges of the locket, it seemed that the blade emitted a reddish glow.

_You have come to me! I am so very pleased._ The voice, this time coming from the sword, sighed.

Captivated, Dodoria reached out to touch the sword. The moment the tips of his fingers came into contact with the scabbard, he felt a surge of energy from the scabbard rushed through his body. He started stroking the sword as if it was a pet. In turn, the sword whispered to him in his mind, telling him of things he wanted to hear. He continued to stroke the sword, communing with it in his mind, until nightfall. In the darkness, he caressed the sword, tenderly like a lover would.

_Take me away from here, my beloved._ The sword pleaded. _Take me away from this horrible place._

_Yes, yes, I will, my love._ Dodoria obeyed. He lifted the sword tenderly and cradled it in his arms. So enchanted he was that he did not hear the deep groan that came from the sleeping being on the large throne and the quicken pace of its breathing.

_They will see you, you must hide, hide!_ The sword instructed.

Dodoria wriggled his fingers and whispered a complex invocation. He ended his spell with an audible "Invisibility!!" Although he was still able to see himself, he knew that the light waves around him were bent away from him, causing anyone who was looking to believe that he had vanished. Cradling the sword like a baby, he ran. He did not notice the fire-haired being lifting a stiff arm and clenched its hand into a claw, trying to grasp an invisible object in mid air. All he saw was the sword in his arms. He did not hear the low angry growls emitted by all four beings. All he heard was the sweet words from the sword. He squeezed through the gap between the large doors and disappeared into the night.

The four beings roused themselves from the enchanted sleep, stretching their bodies after their prolonged rest. Dust fell as they move their limbs to reveal some their natural coloration. The beings on the left and right side immediately dashed off out of the castle, hoping to catch up with the thief before he escaped. The bald being immediately kneeled in front of the larger throne.

"Forgive us, Prince Vegeta. Our lax had let the thief escaped." He said, his head bowed down in shame.

Prince Vegeta stared at his faithful guard under the illumination of the moonlight through the many windows in the ballroom. "This is unacceptable, Nagpa. The sword must be recovered. We cannot allow the monster trapped inside any chance to be freed." He slammed his fists on the arm rests, causing the collected dust to fly. He was furious. It had been stolen, right from under his nose. The sword had brought much misery to his life and he had vowed to devote his life to making sure it would never see the light of day again. He felt the urge to blast something.

"We shall not rest until the thief is caught." Nagpa vowed. He started to get up and turned towards the large doors. However, Prince Vegeta interrupted.

"The prolonged sleep had made our bodies too stiff to grab the thief before he leaves the palace. Kakarot and Raditz should be able to follow the thief's ki and capture him in no time. The air is still thick with the stench of the foul thief" His voice was low and deep, masking his anger. The punishment he had in mind for the thief would make anyone shiver in fear for generations. The scent of the thief was only minutes old. The thief could not have gotten far.

Nagpa stood where he was, his head still bowed in shame. He had expected to be blown into nothingness. At that moment, the being with the long hair entered. Without his hair obscuring his face and body, he was obviously not female as Dodoria had assumed. Dust still clung to his hair and various parts of his armor. He immediately bowed in front of Prince Vegeta.

"I have failed, your highness. I begged for your forgiveness." He said.

"Were you not able to sense the thief's ki, Raditz?" Prince Vegeta questioned, very disappointed. He had expected much more competence from the warrior who had been appointed as one of his guards. Had his abilities deteriorated during the prolonged sleep?

"I could but when I exited the castle, I was interrupted by the immerse ki from the surroundings. It confused the flow of the ki and I lost the trace. My brother, Kakarot, also experienced the same thing. We split up to search for clues at once. I regret to report that I did not find anything substantial" Raditz explained, bowing lower in shame.

"Ki from the surroundings?" Nagpa asked Raditz with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Nagpa, I could feel so much energy from my surroundings, the air is alive! I also felt that the gravity was different, its hold was much lighter than it used to be."

"This is very strange." Nagpa admitted, "The ki in the surroundings had never been powerful enough to interfere before. Could it be a spell cast to confuse you?"

"No matter. We must recover the sword." Prince Vegeta demanded.

"Forgive us, your highness. We do not know." Nagpa and Raditz pleaded, kneeling down in front of the angry prince.

"Nagpa, will you request the presence of Mihtous? The barrier should have kept the thief away. Why had it failed? We can get some answers from Mihtous." Prince Vegeta's mind burned. The sword was stolen and he had no clue who did it.

"At once, your highness." Nagpa answered. He closed his eyes and concentrated, pushing his thought towards the skies. He expected to sense the immerse power of Mihtous and follow its trail to Mihtous' awareness but was surprised to feel nothingness. He tried again, still nothing. He then put this thought out to the agents of Mihtous, but he could not sense any trace. Extending his search thought to any heavenly spirits, it astounded him to find that there were no heavenly spirits at all. "I cannot, your highness. I only encountered emptiness. The god or his agents cannot be contacted. The barrier seems to have been dispelled as well." He admitted.

"This is preposterous. We need…" Prince Vegeta was interrupted by a loud crash.

Something or someone had collided into the large doors of the castle. Assuming the thief had been stupid enough to return to the scene of the crime, the trio sprinted towards the source of the crash.

Pulling the doors open revealed Kakarot sitting on the ground, his hands pressed on his forehead. "Pain… Pain pain pain…" He whined.

"What is the meaning of this, Kakarot?" Raditz demanded. Prince Vegeta had aimed a ki ball at Kakarot. Raditz hoped his brother had a good explanation.

"I decided to see if my head is harder or the door… No, I lost balance and jumped head first into the door."

"I thought you had outgrown your tendency for doing that. You are going to pulverize that brain of yours if you keep it up." Nagpa mused, trying not to laugh out loud.

"Hey, I invented the term 'use your head', alright?" Kakarot countered. He was a little hurt at the lack of sympathy his fellow kinsmen demonstrated.

"Enough!" Prince Vegeta shouted. If he had not been so furious, he would have found the sight comical. Giving Kakarot a piercing gaze, he bellowed. "Report!"

"Yes, your highness." Kakarot replied, standing up immediately. "My brother and I gave chase the moment we felt the use of our limbs returned but lost the trace the moment we exited the castle. We decided to investigate the area where we last sensed the ki but there was nothing of importance. The surrounding was very strange. I could feel a lot of excess energy around me and my footing was very unstable. My brother ordered me to explore the eastern terrain while he will investigate the western terrain. I flew off as I felt uneasy on the ground. I almost walked into a tree a few times in the dark. I thought flying would be easier, with the lighter gravity and all, but the excess energies caused a lot of friction in the air. I had to power up a little to balance the excess energies out. I discovered that the higher I flew, the lesser excess energies there is. I think the excess energies commenced from the ground up. That might be why the gravity went cranky. You see…"

"Get to the point!" Prince Vegeta, Nagpa and Raditz yelled in unison.

"Alright, alright, sorry, sorry!" Kakarot apologized, with his hand scratching the back of his head and his childlike grin graced his face. He continued, "I discovered a wooden house in a deserted clearing just outside the perimeter of the saiyan boundary. I landed near it to investigate. I noticed a large button near the door. Hard not to notice it really, there was a large arrow pointing at it. Thinking it might be a high tech version of the door knocker, I pressed it. I made a mental wager at the moment, bells instead of gongs. Since it's obviously high tech, there's a fairly high chance that it would be a musical melody or maybe an announcement…"

Prince Vegeta was on the verge of firing the ki ball at Kakarot's chest. What idiot would knock on the door of a house where a thief could be hiding in? Knowing that he needed the rest of the information and that he didn't have time for Raditz to bury and conduct the funeral rites for the remains of his oaf of a brother, he fired the ki ball at Kakarot's feet.

Kakarot jumped and managed to dodge the ki blast before landing on his bottom a short distance away.

"I grow impatient, Kakarot!" Prince Vegeta snarled, his arms crossed on his chest.

Rubbing his painful tush, he continued sulkingly. "After I pressed the button, the house exploded into a cloud of smoke. I thought I pressed a self destruct mechanism and ducked behind a tree. When the smoke dissipated, the house disappeared! This was what's left." He took out a tiny object from under his armor and threw it at Prince Vegeta.

Prince Vegeta caught it with ease and examined it. The object had a reddish brown metallic coating. It was shaped like a medicine capsule but was 20 times bigger. A strange knob was on top of the object. "CAPSULE" was embossed on metallic surface and "DODORIA" was scribbled untidily below the embossed word. It was a clue. The oaf may have some use after all.

Grasping the object tightly in his fist, he turned and strolled towards a doorway behind the larger throne in the ballroom. His three guards followed him closely, Kakarot rubbing his sore backside. "We will depart in 2 hours. I expect you to be ready." He ordered before disappearing into the darkness beyond the doorway.

The prince ambled down the dark corridor that would lead to his chamber, a tiny ki ball hovering above one hand illuminated his way. His steps disturbed the thick layer of dust that now resided in every inch of the palace. How long had they been asleep? He wondered. Who was the thief? How did he dispel the magical barrier that Mihtous casted? How did he know of the sword? Did he know the demonic monster trapped within it? Who was behind all of this? Freiza?

At least we had a few clues, a strange object, "CAPSULE" and "DODORIA". He thought, though it did little to lighten his mood. He paused briefly at a cross junction and turned right into a long corridor that led to a spiral staircase up one of the towers. Mihtous' barrier had protected the castle from intruders, pests, weeds alike. The prince had been secretly grateful as he did not want the palace to succumb to centuries of neglect of uncontrolled fauna growth. Not yet, anyway. Only the thick layer of dust gave evidence of the lack of activities and presences in the palace. Spiders did not weave their webs in any corner of the palace.

Climbing up the stairs swiftly, skipping two steps at a time, he came to a pair of doors. Dust collected in the crevices of the ornate engraving on the door, making the ancient saiyan inscription barely visible. He pushed the doors open with one hand. The stale air and deeper darkness greeted him. Under the dim light of his ki ball, he recognized the familiar setting of his chambers.

He ignited several torches along the wall before extinguishing his ki ball. Like everywhere else in the palace, his chamber was dusty. The most remarkable observation one could make was that the chamber did not have a bed. A frayed rope ran across the chamber instead. At a young age, Prince Vegeta had preferred to sleep balanced on a length of rope instead of the comforts of a soft mattress. It enhanced his sense of equilibrium while he slept.

He walked towards a full length mirror hitched on the wall. Clearing the dust with the palms of his hands, it revealed his reflection in clarity. He stared at it and sighed. Time has not aged his features; Mihtous' gift still thrived even when the barrier did not. He briefly shook off the dust on his body and stripped himself naked.

From a large jar on top of a set of ornate wooden drawers, he grabbed a handful of coarse cleaning powder and sprinkled it all over himself liberally. He vigorously rubbed the powder into every inch of his body, grabbing more powder from the jar as needed. He immediately felt cleaner when he brushed off the grime and dust attracted to cleaning powder in clumps. His hair took him a while longer to clean.

When he was done, he began to explore the drawers for suitable garments. Digging deeply into the drawers, he pulled out a navy blue spandex. It smelt of age but was dust free and usable. Finding a suitable armor was more difficult. All of his armors had either rusted or crumbled. The only exception was a black suit made from the skin of the Xylin beast. It was rumored to be extremely durable and apparently the rumor was true if it can withstand the test of time. The suit had the design of the basic leather armor but the texture was slightly rougher than leather. The belt at the waist was said to be woven from the golden hairs of the beast's mane. There were two hidden compartments under the front of the armor.

He chuckled to himself as he remembered the Xylin beast as a creature that burst into flames when provoked or threatened. It was a fearsome carnivore that inhabited desert areas. How fitting the beast's hide was as armor for the saiyan prince with hair like flames and a fury to match.

Prince Vegeta wore back the pair of boots he had worn during the enchanted sleep. The other pairs he owned had succumbed to the passing of time.

Next, he swung the mirror open like a door to reveal an electronic safe. There was no power connected to the safe and Prince Vegeta wondered how he could get the safe open. Deciding on the best method known to saiyans, he drew his arm back and released a full strength punch at the lock mechanism. His fist created a hole through the safe door and the lock mechanism shattered. He pulled the wrecked door open and examined his princely wealth.

Neat stacks of platinum coins filled the majority of the shelves in the safe. He had no idea if platinum was still the widely popular currency but it should be worth something. The saiyans used unabridged platinum coins as the currency, value was determined by weight. He took a handful of coins and stuffed them into the hidden compartment on the right side of his armor.

The topmost shelf held the crown jewels. As prince, he was entitled to wear a platinum choker with the royal crest engraved on it. His father, as king, wore a purple gold choker that was slightly thicker than the prince's. Precious gemstones were encrusted in the design of the royal crest. It was the symbol of power of the saiyans and was the inheritance of the heir apparent. The saiyan royalty wore no crowns. The general population did not crave for jewelry since it was more of a hindrance during combat, although they owned bracelets of woven precious metals used for special occasions.

A five inch long hair stick lay near the king's choker. Looking at it brought unshed tears to his eyes. It was her sister's. The stick was made of nacre polished to perfection and was surprisingly lightweight. One end was pointed and it gradually widen towards the other end. Teardrop shaped sapphires hung from eight chains on the wider end. There were two chains that held tiny bells at the end instead of sapphires. He remembered how musical it sounded every time she moved her head.

Prince Vegeta knew that the castle was no longer safe from intruders. He would have to carry all of his riches with him. Regardless of its value in the present times, every bit would count in the pursuit and capture of the thief. He wore his platinum choker, as was his right and kept the king's choker and the hair stick in the other hidden pocket in his armor, together with the small "CAPSULE" object.

Looking for a usable sack proved more challenging for the prince. He finally settled for bundling all of the coins with two faded bed spreads that were still durable. He placed the bundle and several items he felt would be useful in the pursuit on another bed spread laid on the dusty ground, one of which was the jar of cleaning powder. Prince Vegeta then fashioned the bed spread into a crude bundle that he could sling across his chest securely, the load rested slightly on his back. It was not as bulky as he thought it would be and was satisfied with result.

He estimated that almost two hours had past and the dawn was fast approaching. The prince extinguished the torches and left his chamber, grunting slightly from the weight of the bundle.

He retraced his way back to the ballroom. Nagpa was already there, clad in the same suit he previously wore. A polished mace hung from his belt. The dust had been brushed off him and he looked more or less cleaned and well groomed. Beside him was three large bundles fashioned from bed spreads of different designs, similar to the one the prince had. Nagpa was busy tying up a smaller bundle.

"Where are the others?" Prince Vegeta asked, placing his bundle together with the other three.

"Your highness. Raditz is roasting a beast Kakarot had caught. Kakarot has gone up the mountain to harvest senzu beans. I managed to gather some fruits for the journey." Nagpa replied, pointing at the bundle he had been tying. "I hope your highness does not mind delaying the departure time for a proper meal."

"I have no comments. We will depart immediately after the meal." Food had not entered his mind in his preparation for departure and at Nagpa's mention, his stomach let out an angry growl.

Prince Vegeta hovered near one of the windows to watch the sunrise while waiting for Kakarot and Raditz to return. Several things ran though his mind. Most painful were the memories of his sister. Vaitara was a beautiful and gifted child. Her silky dark brown hair was gathered into a bun and secured with the hair stick he now carried. Her peach colored complexion gave promises of flawless beauty. She had eyes that sparkled like the stars. She could charm anyone with just a smile and a tactful remark. Her voice put angels to shame and her reflexes were faster as any child her age. Even at eight, she was as regal as any queen or empress. The beautiful mental picture of her soon contorted to one where she laid in a pool of her own blood, cold and pale, her neck, wrists and ankles slashed. Her smiling face was replaced by lifeless one with a look of utter horror.

Clenching his fists at his sides, the unshed tears stinging his eyes, the prince silently vowed to destroy the monster that had caused her such pain. He would find the thief. He would destroy the monster that resided in the sword. He swore in the name of his heritage and his honor.

Raditz and Kakarot returned just as the sun started to rise, supporting a long stick which hung a huge steaming roast of some unknown beast. They were arguing. Both were still wearing the same armor but were cleaner. Kakarot held a sizeable bundle in one hand.

"You ate a senzu bean, Kakarot, and you know the prince gets the first cut from the roast."

"But I'm really hungry, brother. The prince won't see one tiny nick."

"No. We have failed the prince. It will be our heads if we agitate the prince any further. This is an order!"

"Fine. Wet blanket you are." Kakarot's remark earned him a smack on the back of his head from his brother.

Placing the roast on two tripod stands, they positioned themselves beside the roast, next to Nagpa. Kakarot was visibly drooling and eyeing the steaming roast with undisguised hunger. Prince Vegeta landed in front of the roast and Nagpa presented him with a curving knife.

"We are the last of the mighty saiyan race. For how long we were bound in slumber, I know not, but it had made us ignorant of the present world. The saiyan race would be considered figures of myth and legends now. As much as I want to reestablish our race to its former glory, recovering the sword commands much more importance right now. We will destroy that vile monster." He paused and gazed into the eyes of his faithful warriors. "For convenience, you may address me by my name, Vegeta, from now on. Be forewarned that I am still your prince and any disrespect will be punished most severely. I repeat. We will find the thief. We will recover the sword. We will destroy the monster trapped within the sword. We will shock the world once again with the presence of the mighty saiyan race! For the glory of our heritage!" In a swift swing of his arm, he divided the roast into four equal pieces. Three pieces were quickly thrown to the three warriors before they fell unto the dusty floor. The last piece, he caught it by stabbing it with the curving knife.

"Hail, Vegeta!" They roared in unison, catching their chunk of meat and raising it above their heads.

"Feast." Vegeta announced and ravenously devoured the meat he held.

[Author's Note : I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Please leave a review. *smiles hopefully* Besides the most anticipated Bulma, I will be introducing more familiar characters in the next chapter. Stay tuned. Lastly, thank you smallbluecapricorn and Vladgurl for your kind reviews, I am very grateful.]


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